The magical journey of a countryside boy

As the last student finishes collecting their materials from the counter, the imposing escort walks up, politely thanking Lady Valios before stepping away with a parchment in hand.

​He scans the document and speaks in a gruff, booming voice. “Edward, William, and Martha.”

​Hearing his name called, a cold shiver runs down William’s spine.

​Is there a problem with us...?

​“You three will follow Mark,” the man continues, his eyes sweeping over them. “The rest will follow me.”

​Whispers immediately break out among the children. Before anyone can complain, the lead escort cuts them off with a stern glare. “If you have any questions, keep them to yourself. You will receive your answers later.”

​Edward instantly shuts his mouth, shrinking under the man’s heavy stare. The escort gestures toward Mark, hands him the parchment, and leads the remaining students away.

​Mark glances at the list, then turns to the trio with his usual easygoing grin. “Come on, kids. Just follow me.”

​They set off in silence. As they walk through the quiet corridors, Martha finally breaks the tension, her voice trembling.

​“Why were we separated from the others? Is... is there something wrong with us?”

​William turns to look at her. Martha is one of the girls from Edward’s home city; back in Bruges, she had worked as an apprentice seamstress in her mother’s shop.

​Mark chuckles softly. “There’s nothing wrong with you. The reason you three were separated is simple: you know how to read and write. The others don’t.”

​All three of them let out a collective sigh of relief.

​Edward huffs, regaining his usual confidence. “Why couldn’t that guy just tell us that instead of scaring us half to death?”

​Mark’s smile widens into a smirk. “Because he doesn’t like talking much. Even though he was the lead escort, Evelyn did most of the actual work.” He chuckles under his breath before adding, “Or maybe it’s because his magical affinity isn’t ’manly’ enough for him, so he tries to make up for it by acting like a hardass. But don’t ever say that in front of him,” Mark adds with a wink, “unless you can keep your eyes open at all times.”

​A question sparks in William’s mind as he listens to Mark’s joke.

​“You told us the academy year doesn’t start for another month,” William says, looking up. “How can the other students learn how to read and write in such a short time? I remember it took me over a year and a half to learn.”

​Mark stops in his tracks and turns his head toward William, a glint of pure mischief dancing in his eyes.

​“You really wanna know?”

​William nods hesitantly.

​Mark grins as he gives an answer that is simultaneously the best and worst answer imaginable:

​“It’s magic.”

After walking for a while, they stop in front of a large, imposing building. The trio stares at Mark, waiting for an explanation.

​Mark clears his throat. “This is where you’ll be staying for the next few days. It’s not the actual student dormitory, but it’ll do.”

​Edward looks up at the towering structure, squinting. “What was this place used for before?”

​An unusually awkward expression appears on Mark’s face. “I... don’t know. It wasn’t here the last time I was at the academy.” He pauses, catching their wide-eyed looks, before adding, “But the fact that they allotted it to students—even temporarily—means it’s completely safe. Probably.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

​A collective tense grimace spreads across all three of their faces.

​Mark expertly ignores it. “Go ahead and pick your rooms. Students from other parts of the Empire will be staying here too. And let me tell you something—I don’t want to babysit a bunch of grumpy children, so be nice to each other, alright?”

​All three nod quickly.

​“Pick whichever room you want, and be ready in your uniforms the day after tomorrow.”

​With that, Mark turns on his heel and wanders away with his usual lazy gait.

​The three watch his back disappear.

​“Okay... so we should probably go inside,” Edward says, breaking the silence.

​William and Martha nod in agreement.

​They step into the building and find themselves standing in a grand, open hall wrapped by two upper floors of room balconies. Before William can take a proper look around, a loud voice suddenly calls out from above.

​“Look! The new kids are here!”

​William looks up.

​A boy around their age is leaning precariously over the first-floor railing, his messy black hair dangling over the edge as he stares down at them with an eager, excited grin.

​“You speak as if you’ve been here for ages,” a sharp voice cuts in.

​William turns his gaze slightly to see a girl with neat brown hair standing nearby, looking at the black-haired boy with clear exasperation.

​The boy explains with a understanding look on his face“I was the first person to enter this building before any of you lot! That means I’ve been here longer than everyone else, which makes me your senior.” He straightens up, craning his neck and puffing out his chest in what William assumes is supposed to be a proud, authoritative pose.

​Then he leans back over the railing and grins at the three newcomers.

​“Come on upstairs, you three!”

”As the three of them climb the stairs, the black-haired boy immediately approaches them with a wide grin.

​“Hello! My name is Caleb. What’s yours?”

​Both Martha and William are taken aback by his enthusiasm. Edward, however, looks as though he has just found a kindred spirit. He steps forward with an equally energetic expression.

​“I’m Edward. These two are William and Martha.” He gestures toward them, and both William and Martha offer polite nods. “We’re from the Western Region of the Empire.”

​Caleb nods enthusiastically before suddenly seeming to remember something. “Oh, yeah! This is Arya. We’re from the Capital.” He gestures proudly toward the brown-haired girl beside him before striking another exaggerated, chest-puffing pose.

​Arya immediately kicks him in the back of the leg.

​“Heey! What was that for—?”

​Caleb’s complaint is promptly ignored.

​“Don’t mind him,” Arya says calmly, not batting an eye. “He fell out of bed multiple times when he was a kid.”

​“Hey! How do you even know about that...?”

​Caleb’s indignant question receives no response. Arya simply turns toward the long corridor.

​“Anyway, let me show you where the empty rooms are.” She starts walking down the hall, leaving Caleb to trail behind her, looking thoroughly offended.

​William glances over at Edward. Edward is already grinning from ear to ear.

​Yeah, William thinks to himself, we’re definitely going to be here for a while.

During the walk, William learns that Arya and Caleb have known each other their entire lives. Their families have been neighbors for as long as either of them can remember.

​As they continue down the hallway, Edward asks, “How many people are staying here?”

​“Including you three? Eleven,” Caleb replies. “We get along with almost all of them, except...” He pauses, turning his head to glare at a closed door on the opposite side of the hall. “That guy. He came three days ago from the East and hasn’t left his room once. He hasn’t even told anyone his name. I tried talking to him, but he just stared at me like he wanted to bite my head off.”

​Caleb crosses his arms, looking thoroughly offended by the memory.

​“Leave him be. Not everyone enjoys talking as much as you do,” Arya says, giving him a flat look before gesturing toward an open section of the hallway. “All these rooms are empty, so pick whichever one you want.”

​“Oh, yeah—food will be served downstairs in the main hall,” Caleb adds, his cheerful mood returning instantly.

​William nods. “Thanks.”

​He selects one of the rooms and steps inside. Martha picks an adjacent room, while Edward stays out in the hallway to continue chatting eagerly with his new friend.

​As William steps over the threshold, he glances once more toward the quiet door belonging to the mysterious student from the East.

‘​Why would someone lock himself away in his room? Especially in a place like this, where you’re surrounded by magic?’

​He shakes his head, putting the thought aside for now, and softly closes his door.